Attachments
Situation
• FRED formed over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of western Africa on 30 August and it moved towards Cabo Verde, strengthening. On 31 August, it moved through the Cabo Verde islands as a Category 1 Hurricane (max. sustained winds of 130-140 km/h). Early on 1 September it weakened into a Tropical Storm and it started moving away from Cabo Verde islands. As of 1 September afternoon, the Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warning (NOAA) have been lifted.
• FRED caused heavy rainfall, strong winds and storm surge in Cabo Verde. As of 1 September, media report floods and wind damage on the islands of Sal and Santo Antão (35 people in shelters in Porto Novo).
• On 1 September, the Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated by DG ECHO.
Background Information
Tropical Cyclones, in the Atlantic Ocean, often form in the areas south of Cabo Verde Islands; then they move over the warm waters of the Atlantic, towards the Caribbean or USA, strengthening. They rarely reach hurricane intensity near Cabo Verde.
Relevant Tropical Cyclones (1980 – 2015):
• 1982 Tropical Storm BERYL: 3 dead, over 2 000 people affected.
• 1984 Tropical Storm FRAN: 29 dead, over 5 500 people affected
Most of the rainfall in Cabo Verde occurs between August and October, with September the wettest month.